


All Hands On Deck

by orphan_account



Category: The Magnus Archives (Podcast)
Genre: F/F, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Mild Hurt/Comfort, coffee dates, just a smidge of angst bc it follows the timeline after melanie leaves the institute
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-10
Updated: 2019-12-10
Packaged: 2021-02-26 02:00:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,359
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21745660
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: It's admittedly blindsided Georgie "Not One For Dating" Barker a little, but what is she to complain? She likes Melanie. A lot of things about Melanie. And Melanie likes her.And Melanie really,reallylikes her cat.Written for the Rusty Quill Secret Santa 2019!
Relationships: Georgie Barker/Melanie King
Comments: 5
Kudos: 52
Collections: Rusty Quill Secret Santa 2019





	All Hands On Deck

**Author's Note:**

  * For [aisydays](https://archiveofourown.org/users/aisydays/gifts).



Georgie's always thought the whole "cat person" thing was a bit of a false dichotomy, really. There were certainly people more _inclined_ toward one or the other, sure — Jon had been a definitive Cat Person with a capital C, he'd been the reason she'd gotten the Admiral to begin with despite her very not-fit-for-a-pet flat — but there's no set of qualities that makes one like cats. It just sort of _is_. 

She wouldn't exactly call herself a cat person either. Of course she loves cats, she wouldn't go near anyone who _doesn't_ like cats with a ten-foot-pole — but in the same way she loves dogs and birds and deep-sea hatchetfish, a general appreciation for every walk of life nature has to offer (no matter how freaky). But she's got a cat anyway, that's a thing that just _is_ too. 

Melanie had crept up in her life slowly and fastidiously, when she was too preoccupied worrying about Jon and avatars of Death to notice _they maybe_ might be going on dates up until their fifth time getting coffee together, when she'd had a sudden realization at the counter — " _wait_." And things just progressed from there. 

It was unexpected, but not unwelcome. Georgie's not exactly one for dating lately (had kind of grown out of it since university and the hassle of finding people who weren't creeps or entirely out of touch with her interests) but hey — Melanie is a good friend. They have a lot in common, what with podcasts and ghost hunter YouTube channels, and their shared exasperation with the entire _Jon_ situation. 

Melanie's like Jon in a lot of ways. Stubbornly independent, headstrong, persistently investigative. But she's softer in a lot of ways too. More willing to be vulnerable, to admit that there's problems she doesn't know how to fix, and that more than anything really tipped Georgie heads over heels. 

The first time Georgie invites her over, it's for an innocuous night in, after a particularly grueling therapy session (Georgie herself hasn't been in a while, but she remembers how painful the first few times were, how terribly _seen_ it made her feel), and she only remembers that she's _completely forgotten_ to tell Melanie about the Admiral when the door opens and there's a loud, expectant meowing. 

Melanie's eyes go wide like she's just seen a (heh) ghost and Georgie rushes to shut the door before the little mischievous bastard scampers out on them. "Oh no you don't!" 

Stopped in his tracks, the Admiral yowls unhappily at her, because he _knows_ , sentience be damned. Georgie swears a little under her breath and scoops him up before he can do more collateral damage. 

"So sorry, he gets antsy when I'm out too long--" 

"You own a cat?!" Melanie squeaks, eyes round as saucers as the Admiral wriggles unhappily in her arms. 

"Um… yep! Forgot to disclose… that little detail." Georgie tries to smile. The Admiral wiggles. "Surprise?" 

Melanie is silent. Takes a step forward. Reaches out with a bracelet-besotten hand and says, with the most wonder Georgie's ever heard in an adult woman's voice: "Kitty…" 

The Admiral, surprisingly, does _not_ freak the hell out at a stranger's hand approaching him, and sniffs curiously. Melanie looks like she's just about to fall over. 

"He's a rascal," adds Georgie. "But affectionate for a cat. Smart too. Nearly got into the food cabins the other day—" 

"What's his name?" 

"Oh! The Admiral." Georgie, seeing as how Melanie hasn't withdrawn her arms, plops the cat like a sack of flour into them with a self-satisfied nod. Her own arms were getting tired anyhow. "Admiral for short." 

Melanie gives her a wide-eyed look like she's just been passed someone's baby, and immediately shifts the cat in her arms to a more comfortable position. The Admiral appears to enjoy the view. 

"Jon and I got him during uni, back when we shared this flat." She reaches over to scritch the Admiral's ears, feeling the warmth from Melanie's shoulder brush her knuckles as her hand jostles close. "He was just a little scrap of a kitten — the Admiral that is, not Jon, though honestly, Jon was about as skinny back then too — and we found him huddled underneath a park bench all shivering. Bundled him up, took him home, gave him lots of food till he was fattened up and rowdy." 

Jon had been the one to convince Georgie to take him home, in the end. Like she said. Cat Person with a capital C. 

The Admiral purrs softly in Melanie's arms. She looks nearly on the verge of tears. 

"You okay?" Georgie ventures, because obviously tears aren't a good sign but sometimes people just really, _really_ love cats? Ever since uni she hasn't been great at measuring that sort of stuff, anyhow. 

"I'm amazing," Melanie croak-squeaks, holding the cat even closer like a plush toy. "He's just… he's just a really good cat." 

It's the first time in a long, _long_ while (longer than she's even started talking to Melanie, back when she only knew her as that stern-faced girl from Ghost Hunt UK) Georgie has seen Melanie so obviously enthralled. She lets it happen. She's unsure of how to address it without breaking the delicate balance, especially since Melanie isn't keen on having her emotions spoken aloud by other people, so she just kind of stands there and smiles what she hopes is an encouraging smile. Melanie's kind of lost in the euphoria of running her hands through cat fluff, and the Admiral is chewing absently on a strand of her hair. 

So that's how the whole thing starts. Melanie doesn't _technically_ move in after that, but she sure does spend a lot of time at Georgie's humble flat — mostly after Georgie drives her to therapy or after coffee dates or occasionally spending the night when the hours have gotten away from them. It's admittedly blindsided Georgie "Not One For Dating" Barker a little, but what is she to complain? She _likes_ Melanie. A lot of things about Melanie. And Melanie likes her. 

And Melanie really, _really_ likes her cat. 

Again, Cat People as a thing™? No real basis, statistically. But subjectively, watching Melanie coo over the Admiral's lovely fluffy tummy and scritching his ears with fervor, Georgie would bet her life on their existence. 

Honestly the more surprising thing is just how much the Admiral takes to Melanie too. He's not an ornery one by any means, but he hasn't been around strangers a _ton_ , and Georgie's pretty sure cats usually don't really warm up to new people all that fast? But Melanie and the Admiral have swiftly become two peas in a pod. He comes running toward the door whenever he senses (Georgie is sure it's supernatural) Melanie's visiting, they've had lengthy conversations where the Admiral, situated in Melanie's lap, gets to enjoy a backrub the entire time she and Georgie are talking, and Melanie pesters her for pictures whenever work spirits her away to that dreadful Institute. 

Somewhere in that timeframe, Georgie is awake at two in the morning and it's because the Admiral won't stop _howling_. 

"Oh my god. What? _What?"_ Georgie mumbles against her pillow as she hears the persistent _pat-pat-pat_ of cat feet padding up and down the length of her bed. The Admiral meows again. "Shoo, cat." 

He doesn't take kindly to the message. Georgie feels needle-sharp claws bat at her exposed ankle and she withdraws it, swearing. " _Ow!_ Cat!" 

" _Yowwww!_ " 

Georgie sits up in bed with a huff. Haughtily, the Admiral leaps up onto the mattress, circles once, and curls into a perfect loaf. She glowers at him. 

"This is about Melanie, isn't it?" she says accusingly, watching his tail thrash. "Well, cat, I can't explain object permanence to you nor London's current housing situation, so you're just going to have to be okay with not seeing her for now." 

He chirps. 

She sighs. "Look, I can't control it either, okay? It's — Melanie doesn't live here, she can't be around all the time. She's got… work." Work and statements, and evil bosses who're annoyingly good at dodging assassination attempts. "Important things, cat. And I need to give her space anyway." 

" _Waaaaaoh._ " 

"Because she's recovering." _Because I remember what I went through, and I want someone to be there for her after what_ she's _gone through. I want to be that someone._ "You can't just ask someone to move in with you all of a sudden, you've gotta ease into it." 

His ear flicks. 

"I mean, yeah, it has been a bunch of months, and… I'm pretty sure we're dating? Pretty sure." She thinks it over again, then nods. "Yep, pretty sure." 

_Mrrp._

"Ooh, Admiral, you know what? You're actually a total genius. Wait here." It definitely isn't the fact that it's two in the morning and Georgie's had a sleepless night that influences her next decision — dialing up Melanie, who's her primary contact and _also_ the third number she's successfully memorized (the first is Jon's and the second is the A&E, mostly also for Jon). 

She's online (irresponsible) so Georgie goes for voicemail rather than text. The phone buzzes a few times before Melanie's groggy voice rings in from the other side, so sleep-heavy and mussed Georgie can't help but smile affectionately. 

"Wha…?" 

"Y'wanna move in with me?" 

So that's how that happens. 

It's harder and easier than they both thought — Melanie's still struggling with those thoughts, the things that keep her from depending on others even as her foundations crumble beneath her — but they're already familiar with each other's habits, to a degree that surprises both of them too, resulting in a shared lifestyle that feels almost domestic in its casualness. It's like they've been doing this the whole time (hmmm!) except now the Admiral is always purring and plump with content because his favorite human (which Georgie is grumbly about) is always around now. 

So score one for Georgie! That's one (1) new friend/loving partner under her belt. Took her damn long enough, especially considering she's from Jon's workplace, and that place is _teeming_ with people Georgie could get along with in better circumstances (like that Martin fellow Jon always goes on and on about, or that former policewoman who has her nose buried in a different book every week). 

That whole place is just messed up to hell and back. Georgie wishes Melanie didn't have anything to do with it. 

It's an unspoken thing — they don't talk about whatever goes on in the Institute on principle, partly cause half the time it's a miserable slot of chasing questions without meaningful answers, and partially cause Melanie goes all weird whenever it's brought up and tends to shut down. Georgie thinks she gets it. But she wouldn't want to talk for Melanie or anything, or make their individual traumas a contest, so it just becomes The Thing That Shall Not Be Mentioned. 

Until, of course, _that_ day. The day Georgie's been dreading for weeks on end, because like it or not the Institute has swallowed both of them in, and the only way out is one of the worst things Georgie's ever heard. 

She sees Melanie in the hospital only afterwards. They'd had a talk before it actually happened — a long, tearful talk that left Georgie feeling equal parts terrified, hopeful, and empty — but Georgie couldn't bear to stick around for the actual event, and besides, Melanie's pretty set on it being a thing she does on her own, so. 

Hospital it is. 

Melanie doesn't look as awful as Georgie thinks she's entitled to be. She's sluggish, spending most of her time in bed engaged in quiet conversation or simply holding Georgie's hand, and Georgie doesn't know how to feel about any of it. Happy, sad. It all cancels itself out a little, like the last time _she'd_ been in a hospital for an incident like this. 

She tries her best. She brings Melanie lukewarm hospital coffee and snuggles snacks from home, occasionally Georgie brings a book or movie or something Melanie can experience through audio alone, and they sit together. Melanie doesn't withdraw, but she doesn't push out of the fog that's gripped her either. It's not like Georgie expects that when the trauma happened so _close,_ but it's still… well… scary. 

She's scared. 

The Admiral, none the wiser, simply yells all the while Melanie's not home. Georgie finds her nights even more sleepless than before. 

"You know, Admiral misses you," she mutters into Melanie's hair, some days into their stay at the hospital. It's almost time to be released. She finds herself excited, but worried that maybe it's not enough for Melanie to have recovered — they've burned all bridges with the therapists, even Melanie's good one, and the lack of a support system can be utterly damaging for a mind in a fragile state. Melanie's strong, but no one should be _asked_ to be strong for this. 

Melanie stirs a little. "Really?" 

"Oh yes. He lets me know." Georgie lets a comically annoyed note creep into her voice and smiles when Melanie giggles. 

"Poor boy. Must be lonely without anyone in the house to snuggle him." 

"I snuggle him!" Georgie cries, indignant. "He just prefers you, and he's a brat. Been clomping around all day complaining of your absence." 

"Tragedy…" Melanie snickers. "Do you think he'd recognize me? With the head bandage and all?" 

"Well, once you stop smelling like hospital he'll be none the wiser. Should I tell him you'll be back soon?" 

Melanie's voice sharpens with confidence Georgie hasn't heard since before the hospital. "Oh, definitely. With a vengeance." 

"Cuddly vengeance!" Georgie crows quietly. 

Melanie laughs and kisses her cheek. 

Recuperating is slow, but not impossible. Georgie is patient. Melanie is determined. In a lot of ways it's not so different to what they'd been doing before — a slow, steady creep towards normalcy, towards some unknown equilibrium of recovery. It sometimes feels impossible. 

But as she watches Melanie sit on the couch peacefully, practicing Braille with the Admiral perched as a warm, fuzzy lump on her lap, and Georgie thinks maybe, in a way, they've already gotten there. 


End file.
